Six players scored in double figures and No. 7 Michigan held San Diego State to 27.4% shooting from the field in a 94-54 blowout win Monday night in the opening round of the Players Era men’s championship in Las Vegas.
Yexel Lendeborg scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists for the Wolverines (5-0), while Morez Johnson Jr. and Elliot Cadeau each added 13 points. Nimari Burnett and reserve Roddy Gayle chipped in 11 points apiece and Will Tschetter came off the bench to contribute 10.
Michigan’s size and shotmaking was simply too much for the Aztecs (2-2). The Wolverines connected on 50% from the field, including 11 of 33 3-pointers and also dominated the glass 49-34. They carved out advantages of 38-12 in points in the paint and 28-13 in points off turnovers.
Elzie Harrington scored 15 points and BJ Davis added 11 but the Aztecs simply didn’t have enough help. They bricked their way through a 5-of-28 shooting performance from the field in the second half and committed 17 turnovers on the night.
Michigan wasted little time putting the game away after halftime. It scored the first eight points and kept pouring it on, leading by 42 in the final 90 seconds.
The main storyline before tipoff was how the tall, strong Wolverines would handle the long, sticky Aztecs’ defense. But as the game went on, it was apparent that the deciding factor would be the Michigan defense stifling San Diego State’s attack.
The Wolverines rattled off 12 straight points, taking a 17-7 advantage at the 14:10 mark after Tschetter drilled consecutive 3-pointers. The margin remained in double figures for most of the game’s remainder, although the Aztecs did make inroads into a 17-point deficit later in the half.
Davis and Harrington combined for 15 straight points to help San Diego State pull within nine on three different occasions but Burnett drilled a 3-pointer with 1:05 left, enabling Michigan to head to halftime with a 45-33 cushion.
